Port Talbot Transition Project

In the House of Commons, a minister has delivered a statement addressing the government's handling of the steel industry. The minister expressed disappointment with the content of the statement, noting that the media had already been extensively briefed on the matter over the past few days. The minister criticized the Labour government's previous record on the steel sector, stating that output fell by 47% and 56% of jobs were lost under their tenure. The minister argued that the current deal will result in the closure of 100% of output at Port Talbot, with an electric arc furnace taking at least five years, and potentially up to eight or nine years, to become operational, potentially leading to the loss of thousands of jobs. The minister questioned why the Secretary of State did not take steps to ensure that the blast furnace would not be closed before the new electric arc furnace was operational. The minister accused the government of following the "New Labour playbook" by scrapping jobs and production, and becoming reliant on higher-polluting countries for imports, which the minister claimed is not true decarbonization. The minister acknowledged the financial support provided by the previous Conservative government, but expressed concern about the lack of reassurance or plans for the thousands of steelworkers in Scunthorpe who may lose their jobs by Christmas. The minister also criticized the government's failure to provide details on the domestic production of virgin steel, and questioned whether the Secretary of State is doing enough to ensure that the UK does not lose its virgin steel manufacturing capabilities. The minister concluded by expressing support for the government's efforts to ensure the future sustainability of steelmaking in the country, but urged the Secretary of State to do more to protect UK steelmaking.